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Ella, of Course!
- By Sarah Weeks
- Genre: Picture Book
Common Sense Media says
Bouncy read-aloud stars a spunky pig, of course.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Ella is another spunky heroine joining the picture book genre. Kids and parents will like her moxie and there is nothing offensive to her story.
What's the story?
Ella is a natural-born problem solver but now she has a problem. How will she get through the dance recital without her beloved -- but problematic -- umbrella?
Is it any good?
Spunky girls have become a happy standard in picture books in recent years, and Ella joins the genre wearing a pink dress -- but true to form, she also comes with lots of smarts. Parents will appreciate Ella's can-do attitude and general good humor, and kids will identify with her much-loved umbrella and the problems it inspires.
The author knows how to make a story a read-aloud delight, stocking the book with bouncy text, a suspenseful (in a preschool sense) plot, and fun repetition, from the "Whoosh ... click!" of the opening umbrella to the "Ella, of course!" of the title. The illustrations nicely complement the joyous text: The acrylic pictures have lots of action and a bright, saturated color with a soft, blended texture. Ella's spunk jumps off the page as she skips along with her trouble-making, blue-skies umbrella.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Ella's prodigious skills as a problem-solver. Can you think of a situation where you had to solve a problem by yourself? How did you solve it?
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| Author: | Sarah Weeks |
| Illustrators: | Doug Cushman, Louis Darling |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Picture Book |
| Publisher: | Harcourt |
| Publication date: | March 22, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 3 - 7 |
| Read aloud: | 3 |
| Read alone: | 7 |
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